Of Showers and Towels
by CTPx
Summary: All Darby Harrison wanted to do was take a shower...COMPLETE!
1. I Just Want to Take a Shower!

A/N- I don't own anything related to the Chronicles of Narnia! I only own my character ( Darby)!

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Steam met Darby Harrison's pale skin as she stepped into the warm shower. Today had been a long day and this shower was helping ease away all the tension. First off, she was failing calculus. It wasn't that she was a bad student, well maybe it was. She shouldn't have been staring at the back of Chris Thompson's head. Speaking of Chris, her boyfriend, that leads me to the second bad thing that had happened to her today. Chris told her that they "needed to see other people" and we all know what that means. While she was pouring her heart out to her best friend about the break up, she saw Chris. With the ugly girl from her Literature class. That's the reason for possibly the worse thing to happen to Darby today. She was fired from her part-time job because while she was crying into her best friends shoulder she completely forgot that she had to be at work. She tried to explain that to her manager, but her told her that she had been late too many times and he wasn't going to put up with it anymore. So here she was, boyfriend-less, job-less, and failing. 

She turned off the shower and wrapped a fluffy, pink towel around her slim body and stepped out of the shower. She washed all the make up off of her face and combed through her wet, midnight hair. Her hair was one quality that she particularly liked about herself. It set her apart from the sea of blondes. When she was done, she opened the door that connected her room and the bathroom she shared with her little sister, but instead of her red bedroom with the canopy bed, she found a forest! Okay, Darby thought, if this is a joke, this is NOT funny. Definitely not funny. Slowly, she walked out among the trees and looked around her. This was not her room!

The sound of galloping horses met Darby's ears, but as she turned around she found that the door to her bathroom was not there anymore! The horses were getting nearer and there was no where Darby could go. Aha!, Darby thought, as she noticed a big tree she could hide behind. She fled towards the tree but what she didn't notice was that there was a huge root sticking up out of the ground, and as you could guess, Darby landed with an "oof!" on the forest floor.

"Stay still!" a voice commanded her. She would've looked to see who it was, but her little trip left her lying face first on the ground. She heard the sound of feet walking towards her and was trying to mentally prepare herself for what was coming next.

"Get up," a second voice commanded with no emotion showing in the man's voice. It was obviously two men with British accents. Cool, maybe I'm in England. Yea, maybe I was teleported to a English countryside forest, and yes, pigs do fly, Darby joked as she pushed herself off the dirt. When she saw who her captors were, she wished she had stayed laying down on the forest floor and just let them kill her. They were two extremely handsome men! But what were they wearing? It looked like they were in some kind of medieval costume. It was just then that she realized that she was only wearing a fluffy, pink towel. Great, she thought, here I am in the middle of a forest wrapped in a fluffy pink towel surrounded by two good looking guys and to make matters worse, I have no earthly idea where I am.

For a moment, the two men just looked at Darby like she was a lunatic and the exchanged a glance between each other that made her feel quite uncomfortable. She just kind of stood there, holding onto the fluffy, pink towel just to make sure it didn't fall down and embarrass her to death. She was hoping that this staring contest wasn't going to last much longer because she did have a lot of questions to be answered. Fortunately for her, she didn't have to wait very long.

"Who are you?" one of the good looking men asked her suspiciously. Oh, did she have a bad feeling about this.

"Uh, my name is Darby Harrison, but first of all, where am I and who are you?" Darby replied while the two men looked at each other knowingly.

"We had a feeling that you weren't from around here," the second one spoke up.

"You are in Narnia."

"Where?" Darby asked with a very puzzled look on her face. She had never heard of Narnia before. Maybe it was a place in the English countryside.

"Narnia," the second one repeated again.

"Where?" She was still confused. " Is that in the English countryside?"

The two handsome men looked at each other and laughed. Darby felt like she said something extremely stupid. Well, she did. Apparently the two men thought that what she said was hilarious, but she was still confused. Narnia must not have been in the English countryside, but where was it?

"What? I don't get what is so funny?" Darby cried out. Both of the men turned to look at her. Their faces were red from laughter and they were grinning.

" It's a long story, Milady," the second one stated to her., "but you are no longer in that world anymore."

"Oh my god! Did I die? Am I in Heaven? Or am I in Hell?" Darby freaked out, and again the two men started laughing again.

"Calm down, Milady!" the first one said after he and his friend started laughing. "It happened to us, too. I'm Edmund by the way and this is my brother Peter."

"So this is…uh, normal?" She asked while fiddling with the fluffy, pink towel.

" Well, besides Peter, you, our two sisters, and me, this has never happened before." Edmund replied.

" Will I ever get back?" Darby's eyes widened at the thought of never seeing her family or friends again. She'd even pay to see that slut that - never mind. She didn't miss people that much.

" More than likely, " Edmund stated, "but you'll never know."

"Milady, if you don't mind me asking, why are you wearing a towel?" Peter asked and Darby just blushed.

"Toto, we're definitely not in Kansas anymore," She muttered to herself as Peter and Edmund offered to take her back to their home to meet their sisters, Lucy and Susan. She knew this was going to be a new experience!

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Thanks for reading guys! I hope to update soon so please review! Constructive criticism is accepted but please people I would like it if people did not flame. 


	2. Spicy, the horse

Hey guys I dont on anything associated with the Chronicles of Narnia but I do own my character Darby so please read and review! the more reviews I get the sooner I will review!

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"Do not worry, Milady," Peter smiled as he helped her on the back of his horse, careful to keep the fluffy, pink towel in place. "I wont let you fall off." 

Due to Darby's experience (or lack thereof) in ridding horses, She would be ridding with Peter, a more experienced rider and the older of the two brothers. To tell you the truth, Darby's only experience with horses was when she was 5 years old, and believe me, it was not a good experience.

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_"Mama! I want to ride the horseys!" 5 year old Darby yelled at her mother. They were at a ridding club where her oldest brother rode with some of his friends and a older woman was giving free ridding lessons to little children._

_"Alright, Baby, which one do you want to ride?" Her mother asked. The stables were absolutely full with horses but she knew when she saw that beautiful Palomino, she had to ride that one._

_"That one!" Darby said pointing to Spicy, the meanest horse in the barn. " I want to ride Spicy!"_

_"Ooh, you better be careful with that one ,young lady," the ridding instructor warned, but Darby wouldn't listen._

_Darby was all suited up in her equestrian gear and ready to go. She mounted Spicy and before she knew it Spicy took off into the forest! She has always been surprised that she could hang on as long as she did, but the horse gave a final buck and Darby went flying! She broke her arm in two places and swore never to ride again_

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"Lady Darby?" Edmund asked, waking her up from her flashback. " Are you okay?" 

"Uh, Yes. I'm fine," Darby shuddered at the traumatizing memory.

" Good, lets get going," Peter wasted no time, " that way we can get back to Cair Paravel before nightfall."

"What's Cair Paravel?" Uh oh, she was confused again. " Is that another country? Like Narnia?"

" No, Milady," Edmund grinned. " Cair Paravel is our home. It is a beautiful castle by the sea."

"You live in a castle?" She asked.

"Yes, it's a very long story, but we will tell you when we get to the castle," Peter answered for the both of them.

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During the ride to the castle, Darby held onto Peter for dear life. She , to put it simply, was absolutely terrified of horses, and the didn't seem to fond of her either. It felt kind of awkward, you know, holding tightly onto some man you met less than an hour ago, but it was either this or falling to her death off of the horse. Peter didn't seen to mind, not that he paid much attention to her after they had started galloping. She was still amazed that her towel had managed to stay on throughout this entire journey!

" Ah, I can smell the salt air," Edmund said with a peaceful look on his face.

" Cair Paravel is by the sea," Peter explained for what his brother said.

"Oh," She could hear waves crashing in her mind. She loved the beach. " I'm sure its beautiful."

"It is, Lady Darby," Edmund smiled. " You should've seen us the first time we saw it. It's too amazing for words."

The trip remained quiet the rest of the way up to the castle. The castle of Cair Paravel was just as Edmund said it was. Too Amazing for words. It sat on the shore line of what Peter said was the Great Ocean, but the castle itself was what most amazed her.

"Lu and Susan should be waiting for us by now," Peter said as he helped Darby off of his horse, making sure the fluffy, pink towel of hers didn't slip.

"Yes, they'll love you, Lady Darby," Edmund smiled as the two brothers led her into the castle walls. " They've both been aching for female company, besides each other."

"Peter! Edmund!" a girl of about nine yelled running and giving her eldest brother a hug. This must be one of their sisters, Darby thought After all the hugs were given, it was her turn to be introduced.

"Lu, this is Lady Darby," Peter introduced them.

"It's nice to meet you, Lady Darby, I suspect that you don't come from Narnia either," Lucy Pevensie said, eyeing her towel.

" No, I do not, I come from Atlanta," She said. She could see the confusion in their faces, " in America."

"Oh! Well, Lady Darby of Atlanta in America, let's go get you some clothes," Lucy said tugging her along down the hall way. She turned to smile at Peter and Edmund and mouthed a silent thank you to the two brothers for all they had done. If they hadn't picked her up, what would've? A talking lion! Ha, think of that a talking lion!

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Well, thanks for reading and please review for me! Constructive criticism is accepted but no flames please! Remember to review! 


	3. A Friend and a Foe

I want to thank those of you who read and reviewed! This is going to be a very short chapter because I have a lot of holiday plans so the next time I update might be a while from now, but I'll try to update soon if I get a lot of reviews! So read and enjoy!

Yes, Darby is a girl from America during the 1940's. I'm sorry that I did not make that very clear. I'm not quite sure wheather I want it to be a PeterOC or EdmundOC fic so I plan on making them both friends with her first and just plan on going from there!

A/N- I dont own anything from the Chronicles of Narnia!

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"Thank you so much, Lucy, for this dress," Darby smiled. The dress was nothing special, but had a feeling of elegance that she liked, but anything is better than a towel. 

" Your Welcome, Lady Darby," the young girl replied. To Darby, she was simply the sweetest little girl. The complete opposite from her own little sister who was a spoiled brat.

"Oh, Lucy, you don't have to call me that. Darby is just fine," the older girl said while Lucy led her to the dining hall to get some dinner.

" Well, then, Darby, what brings you to Narnia?" Lucy asked politely.

"I'm not really sure. One moment I was walking out of my bathroom after taking a shower and the next I was here," Darby shrugged her shoulders slightly.

"That explains the towel," Lucy giggled.

"Lucy, who's this?" a voice behind them asked. It must be Susan, Darby thought. Susan was the only one of the four siblings that she had not met yet.

"Oh, Susan, this is Darby Harrison, She's not from Narnia either," Lucy explained while Susan surveyed her like a vulture would survey her prey. Lucy had warned her that Susan was in one of her "moods" today and to not be offended by anything she said or did.

"Nice to meet you," Susan said, but her voice gave away the fact that at first glance, she didn't seem to like Darby very much.

"Nice to meet you, too," Darby smiled hoping she would make her way on to Susan's good side, but Susan didn't even seem to notice her because she walked off in the other direction while Darby was saying it.

" Don't worry about her, Darby," Lucy sensed the worried look on her face. " Susan isn't always the friendliest person, but I'm sure once she gets to know you she'll love you."Darby just smiled and remained silent the rest of the way to the dining hall.

Later that night, Darby sat in her new room taking in the view from her balcony. God, did she wish she was home right now. Of course, all of the Pevensie's ( she had learned that was their last name) were nice and kind ,with the exception of Susan who she avoided like the plague , but that didn't change the fact that she missed her family and her friends. She was even starting to miss her annoying little sister. Thinking back to what Edmund had said earlier that day in the forest, would she ever get back? Would she ever see her dog again? Or her best friend? 'More than likely, but you never know'. That's what he had said. Right now, Darby wanted to go back more than she ever would again.

" It's beautiful, isn't it?" a voice from behind her said. She turned around and saw Peter.

"Very," She said sighing and looking at the beautiful ocean view from her balcony. For a few moments, they stood in silence while taking in the warm sea air.

" What are you thinking about?" Peter asked her, never taking his eyes off of the water.

" My family," She stated simply.

" You'll get home one day," Peter tried to reassure her. " I am sure of it."

" Now how about that story you and your brother promised me?" She said thinking back to what they had said about the reason they lived in Cair Paravel.

"I always keep my promises, Lady Darby," Peter smiled, his blue eyes were twinkling.

"Oh, and Peter?" She liked his smile. It was very friendly and right now, she needed friends more than ever.

"What?" He asked politely.

"It's just Darby," She smiled.

"Alright, just Darby," He said, " it happened just a few years ago….."

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Okay guys, thanks for reading! please review and tell me how you liked the chapter! no flames please! 

A/N- I don't plan on Susan and Darby being enemies for too long, so dont be mad at me for making Susan mean because it'll all become clearer in the next few chapters!


	4. From Horse Phobia to Impending War

Okay, I want to thank all of my reviewers and all those who read the story so here is the new chapter!

a/n- I dont own anything related to the Chronicles of Narnia

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"It's easy, Darby, just hold steady then fire," Lucy was trying to teach her how to use a bow with little success. Darby couldn't manage to keep the arrow straight and every time she managed to send the arrow flying into the ground in front of the target. Except for one time when she managed to send it flying into the tree that Peter and Edmund were sitting under. 

"Ugh, this is useless," Darby whined to Lucy. She just couldn't get the hang of this.

"Don't worry," the little girl said, giving her a reassuring pat on the back. " We can try again another day."

Lucy and Darby walked over to the tree Peter and Edmund were sitting under and sat down beside them. They had been coming out here every day this week to teach Darby how to use a weapon, any weapon, but lets just say Darby is not as coordinated as they thought she was. On the first day, Susan had joined them, but she did not sit there and talk with the others and when they all left she just stayed there, engrossed in her book. Needless to stay that during the rest of the week Susan just stayed shut up in her room and only came out to retrieve a new book or to eat dinner.

"So, Darby, how do you like it here in Narnia?" Edmund asked her after a few minutes of sitting under the tree in silence.

" It's wonderful here," Darby smiled, " but I seem to be losing track of time. How long have I been here?"

"It seems as if you have always been here with us," Lucy said, " but I'm not sure whether you have been here weeks or months."

" I think it has been around a month or two," Peter stated while picking at the grass out in front of him.

" I have a brilliant idea!" Edmund was bursting with excitement.

"What, Ed?" Lucy was giggling at her brother's sudden excitement in this "brilliant" idea of his.

" How about we have a horse race?" When Darby heard this she thought she was going to throw up. " We can race from here to the apple orchard over there." Edmund pointed over to his right, but Darby didn't see an apple orchard. She saw miles and miles of open land.

" How about no," She said shortly and stiffly. Horses definitely were not Darby's thing.

"Oh yeah, Darby, I forgot you were terrified of horses," Peter laughed as did the other two Pevensies. They seemed to find her little phobia amusing.

"Do I have to tell you the story?" She yelled, the wind was blowing her long midnight hair into her face. The other three just sat there holding back a giggle or two once or twice while Darby told her story involving a Palomino horse named Spicy. By the end of her story, all three Pevensies were in hysterics.

" Its okay, Darby, we can find something else to do," Lucy said after she had gotten a good laugh.

" King Peter!" a young centaur came running out to them apparently wanting Peter. " Your advisors have requested a conference with you."

" What about, Orieus?" Peter got up and brushed the grass off of his tunic.

" About impending war, Your Highness," Orieus was the centaur's name according to Peter. Upon the word war being spoken, Darby and Lucy immediately turned to give each other a knowing look.

" I'll tell you about it at dinner," Peter said turning to the three of them before Orieus dragged him off to the war council meeting.

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" Peter, what's this we've heard about impending war?" Edmund was the only one with enough guts to ask that evening at dinner.

" Oh, just some not very friendly things have been going on between Calormen and Archenland and King Lune has requested our help with the war," Peter said nonchalantly, like war wasn't a big deal.

" When will we go?" Lucy asked.

" Well, Lucy, you, Susan, and Darby will all stay here and Edmund and I leave for Archenland within the next month," Peter replied knowing that his little sister was not going to be happy about the fact of being forced to stay at Cair Paravel while her brothers went out to fight.

" But Peter-" Lucy started whining.

" No buts about it, Lu," Peter said. There was an awkward silence building up in the dinning hall. Susan had gone to bed early so it was just the four of them.

" How about we play a game after supper, Lucy?" Darby said trying to cheer the little girl up.

" What game?" Lucy smiled up at Darby.

" Any game you like," Darby said to her.

" Hide and Seek!" Lucy smiled. Her older brothers both laughed at her enthusiasm to play her favorite game.

" Oh yea, Peter and Edmund are going to play, too," Darby said looking at Lucy's two older brothers.

" What?" both of the Pevensie boys spit out at the same time.

" Your going to play, too," Darby said smiling her sweetest smile. " I want you to."

" I suppose if _you _want me to, Darby, I'll play."

" Yes, I'll play as long as _you_ want me to," Peter and Edmund both choked out at the same time and then turned to give each other a look.

" Good, then it's settled," Darby said getting up from the table. " We'll all meet in here in fifteen minutes."

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Okay so please review for me! The more reviews I get the sooner I will put the next chapter up! 


	5. A New Friend

Okay, this chapter is kinda long. So enjoy then review!

a/n- I dont own anything from the Chronicles of Narnia!

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After dinner, Darby went back to her room to find a suitable dress that she could properly run around in and was dark enough for her to blend into most of her surroundings in the palace. Around ten minutes later, Darby picked a midnight blue dress with some gold accenting. It was nothing extremely special, but Darby thought it would be the perfect hide and seek dress. She pulled her hair half way up and was surprised when she heard a light knock on her door.

"Oh, hello, Peter," Darby smiled after opening the door and seeing the high king.

" Hello, Darby, I was on my way to the dinning hall and I knew your room was over here so I decided I'd walk with you there," Peter Pevensie told her while returning a white smile of his own.

" Well, you caught me at just the right time," Darby sat down on the bed and put her shoes on. " I'm almost ready."

After she had put her shoes on, Darby and Peter set off to the dinning hall to meet up with Edmund and Lucy before they began their game of hide and seek. They were about half way there when Peter stopped her suddenly.

" Wait, I want to show you something," Peter took her hand and started leading her over to a room she had never been in before.

" Wont Edmund and Lucy wonder where we are?" She said before Peter opened the door to the room in front of them.

" They can wait," Peter smiled. He opened the door to reveal a small room with bookshelves adorning the walls, a fire place sat on the back wall, and a wooden desk sat in the middle of the room.

" What is this?" She asked looking around at the room.

" Oh, it's just a place where I come to think, but this is not what I brought you here to show you," Peter still had hold of her hand and he lead her through a double door out onto the balcony. The sun was setting and the sky was slightly pink mixed with oranges and purples. The view from the balcony was amazing, probably the best one in the palace. The ocean lay out in from of them as the tide came in and out while the moon was peeking out from behind the last rays of sunlight and possibly it was the most beautiful thing Darby had ever seen.

"Oh, it's beautiful, Peter," She said walking over to the handrail on the terrace.

" I think everyone should be able see a Narnian sunset from here at least one time," He said standing beside her.

" Well, I'm glad you brought me here," Darby smiled at the Peter she had come to know, not the high king he was to most people.

"I just wanted you to experience your special Narnian sunset with someone who cares about you," He said, inching closer to her. Right now, they were just inches apart. Peter leaned in towards her, his hand brushing down her arm, and he slowly brushed his lips against hers. It was only a second, but to Darby it seemed like a lifetime.

" Am I interrupting something?" Lucy smirked from behind them.

"Ah, no," Peter answered as he and Darby jumped away from each other. He gave her a look with his wonderful blue eyes and that was the first moment Darby ever _really _noticed Peter Pevensie. He smiled at his sister and left Darby behind with Lucy.

"Darby!" Lucy said snapping her out of her daze.

" What?" The older girl asked.

" You've been standing there for about three minutes with this blank look on your face," Lucy laughed, knowing that ,in fact, she had interrupted something between the new girl and a her oldest brother and she was going to find out.

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Together, Lucy and Darby walked into the dinning hall to find Peter and Edmund talking together by the fireplace. The two boys seemed to not notice there presence immediately but the sound of Lucy's shoes clicking on the floor soon alerted them.

"Finally, I was beginning to think you two had gotten lost," Edmund smiled at the two girls as they approached them.

" Well, Darby got a little side tracked," Lucy snickered. " Come on, lets start the game!"

Darby was contemplating where she was going to hide, she could hide behind one of the tapestries, but that was probably the first place Edmund would look. Lucy had run into another room and Peter had gone down the opposite hallway. She decided to go into a room that was near the room Peter had taken her to earlier.

The room was a little bit bigger than the other room, but was still pretty small. Just like the other room, the walls were lined with shelves and shelves of books and a small fireplace laid against the back wall, but unlike the other room, this room had two couches that sat sideways instead of the wooden desk. The couches were white and both had a red blanket draped across the top. Where could she hide in this room? Darby thought as she examined every nook and cranny of the small room. Finally, she decided to hide behind a chair in a small corner that seemed more excluded from the rest of the room.

Darby sat in that small corner for what seemed like forever until the door knob slowly began to turn. That must be Edmund, she thought while sitting as still and as quiet as she possibly could. But it was not Edmund. It was Susan. Oh, great, she thought, maybe if I sit here she wont notice me. Susan was engrossed in looking through a book she had just picked up off of one of the many bookshelves in the room. She didn't seem to notice that Darby was there so maybe by just pure luck Susan would take her book and leave, but that was not what fate had planned at that exact moment because Susan was walking in Darby's direction towards the very chair she was hiding behind. Susan was about to sit down in the chair when she caught sight of Darby.

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" The oldest Pevensie sister yelled. Obviously, she was surprised by the other girls presence. Darby jumped up out from her hiding place behind the chair and threw a hand over Susan's mouth. " What are you doing in here?"

" Lucy, Edmund, Peter, and I are playing hide and seek," Darby explained to her. " I thought you went to bed."

" I did, but I couldn't sleep so I thought I'd go find a book to read," Susan said with a certain edge to her voice. An awkward silence fell over the two girls as they just stood there and stared at one another, each surveying the others very move. Finally, Susan broke the silence.

" Well, I'm going back to bed," Susan said with no emotion at all showing in her voice. She grabbed her book and was about to leave when Darby stopped her.

" Susan, I know that we aren't on the best of terms, but it looks as if I'm going to be spending a lot of time here at the palace with you and your family so we should at least _try_ to be friends," Susan turned around to face her.

" Darby, I am sorry that I have been cross with you, but I love my family very much and I would do anything to protect them. I was just trying to make sure you weren't an enemy," Susan explained to Darby.

" I completely understand, Susan," Darby smiled. Maybe one day she and Susan could be close friends.

" So, friends?" Susan returned the smile.

" Friends," Darby was grateful to finally be at peace with the oldest Pevensie sister.

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" Darby!" Edmund yelled. He had already found Peter and Lucy relatively easily.

" Wow, Darby's really good at this game," Lucy laughed as she, Peter, and Edmund walked down the hallway in search of their friend. They passed by Susan's room and heard laughter, not a thing that usually came from their sister's room.

" Is that giggling coming from Susan's room?" Peter had a puzzled look on his face.

" I think maybe we should check on her," Edmund was puzzled too. From what he knew, Susan didn't have any friends to laugh with. He opened the door to find Susan and ,to his and his siblings surprise, Darby laughing at something unknown to the other three.

" Uh, Su, Darby, what's going on here?" Lucy said looking as the two older girls giggled uncontrollably over something. The two girls were laughing too hard to answer. "Have you two finally become friends?"

The two girls were still laughing uncontrollably and holding there stomachs in pain from so much laughter. The three other Pevensies took that as a yes.

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Like the chapter? If you do please review, review, review! The more hits and reviews I get the sooner I will update my story! 


	6. The Good Luck Ball

Okay, chapter 6 is up! Please read and review!

a/n- I dont own The Chronicles of Narnia!

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Darby Harrison was worried. Not about herself, but about Peter and Edmund. They were to go off to war in _only_ two days. Peter had told Lucy, Susan, and herself that the two boys would be fine and that he'd make sure to keep and eye out on Edmund, but that still could not ease to worry going through Darby's mind at the moment.

Right now, Darby and Susan were picking out dresses to wear to the Good Luck ball (planned by the two Pevensie sisters and Darby) which was to be held that evening. The two girls had already gone through all of the formal dresses in Darby's closet and were now in the middle of going through Susan's with no luck in finding any formal dress at all.

" Su, I'm beginning to think that maybe we are not going to find a dress," Darby said as she looked intently at each dress she passed by. Susan just sighed and continued to look through the many dresses in her closet.

" I think I might have found one for you, Darby," Susan said holding up an angelic, sleeveless, white dress. Small pearls adorned the bodice and the skirt flowed out in long white sheets of lace, but the back of the dress is what Darby loved the most. The back dipped down low, not showing to much, but just enough.

" Susan, it's gorgeous," Darby admired the beautiful dress.

"Well, try it on!" The Queen laughed gently shoving the dress in her friend's direction.

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" Edmund, what am I going to do?" Peter said pacing back in forth in front of the bed his brother was sitting on. " How am I going to say good-bye to her?"

" I don't know," the younger king shrugged his shoulders. The two Pevensie brothers never had much experience with the ladies.

" You're a big help, Ed," Peter groaned. He was going away to war in two days and was stressing over saying good-bye to Darby. He just couldn't go up to her, say good-bye and walk off. It had to be special. Peter sat down on the chair beside Edmund's bed and buried his head in his hands. This was going to be way harder than he thought.

* * *

Five minutes before the ball was to begin, Darby was laying down on her bed, trying not to wrinkle her dress. She didn't feel well at all and was seriously thinking about skipping the Good Luck Ball until Susan knocked at her door.

"Darby?" Susan Pevensie said knocking on her friend's door. " Are you in there?"

" Yes, come in," Darby said sitting up slowly. Susan walked in to the room and immediately frowned.

"Darby Harrison, why are you lying down on your bed?" She scolded. Susan was now in mom mode. " Are you trying to get your dress wrinkled?"

" No, I just don't feel too well," Darby's hand went to massage her aching head.

" Aww, come on, Darby," Susan said putting a hand on the girl's shoulder, " just come down to the ball for a little while and then you can leave early if your still not feeling well." Darby just gave her a skeptical look. " Peter, Edmund, and Lucy are dying to see you."

Darby gave a weak smile and went to put on her shoes. Once she had done that, she ran her fingers through her midnight hair, which she and Susan decided to curl, and applied some light gloss to her lips. Now, she was ready.

* * *

She and Susan walked through the empty, dark hallway to the sound of music coming from the grand ballroom. Apparently, they were late, but Susan didn't mind she thought it would be perfect for them to make there grand entrance.

" Grand entrance?" Darby stammered. Now, she was _really_ feeling sick.

" Yes, of course," Susan giggled as they neared the entrance to the ballroom. " I'll go first and then after I reach the bottom of the steps, you will follow me."

Great, Darby thought as the ushers opened the door for Susan to walk through, now was her chance. She could run back to her room and go back to sleep, but she stopped once her back was to the ushers and the door, the ushers had once again opened the door to the ballroom, revealing her too the many guests. Darby slowly peaked over her shoulder to see Susan grinning at the bottom of the staircase and Lucy was right beside her. Every eye in the room was on her and the music had stopped. She nervously smiled and slowly and gracefully walked down the staircase.

Once she reached the bottom of the staircase, Darby spotted Peter standing over by a wall watching her. She opted not to walk up to him, and decided to talk to Susan and Lucy about how the ball was going.

" Hey, girls," Darby smiled walking over to her friends.

" Hey, Darby," Lucy grinned. " You look beautiful."

" Aww, thanks, Lu," Darby said to the younger girl.

" Darby, don't turn around now but Peter is staring at you," Susan said looking at her older brother, but contrary to what Susan said, both Lucy and Darby turned around to stare at Peter. " No! Don't all look at once!" Susan swatted both of the girls on the arm, receiving to glares in the process.

" Great, now he's looked away!" Susan sighed. He must have seen the three girls looking at him. " Oh, by the way, Darby are you feeling better?"

" Not really, Su," She said shaking her head, while midnight curls bounced up and down on her shoulders.

" Your not feeling well, Darby?" Little Lucy said looking up at her friend.

" No, I am not feeling well at all," Darby said grabbing some punch off of the table beside the three girls.

" We can get the doctor to come check you out tomorrow if you would like," Lucy said with a concerned look on her face.

" Yes, I would like that, now how about we dance," Darby said dragging her friends off towards the dance floor. She didn't want to ruin the party by making her friends worry about her.

* * *

It was late before Darby got back to her room that night or maybe it was early morning before she got back to her room, but either way she was tired. She had danced for a long time with Peter, who had seemed slightly nervous around her, and with Edmund, who could barely dance at all.

She sat down on her vanity chair and took her shoes off and was about to remove her dress when she felt slightly dizzy. She grabbed on to the side of he vanity to keep her balance but the dizzy feeling wasn't going away, it was getting worse. Suddenly, she passed out.

* * *

Susan was on her way back from the ball when she heard a loud thump come from inside Darby's room. She knocked on the door, but no one answered, and she knocked again and no one answered. Now, Susan was starting to get worried. She tried opening the door, but it was locked.

" Darby?" Susan said franticly knocking again and again on her friend's door. No one answered.

" Susan, what are you doing?" Edmund said giving his sister a weird look.

" I think there might be something wrong with Darby," Susan was panicking.

" What happened?" Edmund was completely serious now as Susan explained to him her story.

" We can try to bust down the door," Edmund suggested.

" Okay, on the count of three, we'll both run into the door," Susan said. " One…. Two…Three!"

Unfortunately, that didn't work because instead of breaking to door, Edmund thought he might have broken his arm.

" What else can we do?" Susan cried as the two siblings sat tangled together on the ground.

" Uh, Ed, Su, what are you two doing?" Peter said coming up to his two siblings.

"Uh, nothing, Peter," Edmund said. He thought it was best that they didn't worry Peter, but apparently Susan didn't catch on.

" I was walking by and I heard this loud thump from inside Darby's room and I was getting worried cause she wasn't answering the door and it was locked and then Edmund and I were trying to break it down but we couldn't and now Edmund thinks he might have broken his arm and we don't know what to do," Susan cried.

" There's a key," Peter said grabbing it off of the top of the door frame. All the rooms had one of these keys, in case you were ever to get locked out of your room. He quickly unlocked the door, but when he entered the room, he wished he hadn't .

There lay his Darby, in a heap on the floor.

* * *

okay, thanks for reading guys! now please review and the more reviews I get the sooner I will put the new chapter up! 


	7. Strong and Brave

A/N- I dont own the Chronicles of Narnia!

* * *

Peter sat silently in a chair beside Darby's bed. He hadn't slept or eaten anything in the past two days, and he wasn't planning on leaving Darby's bedside until she woke up, whenever that would be. Susan had come to visit frequently, about every two hours, to see if Darby had woken up yet, but she hadn't. The siblings thought it would be best if Lucy did not come visit because they didn't want to get her too worked up about something that could be nothing, but Peter didn't think that whatever Darby had was nothing.

"Peter, come on," Susan said patting his back, " get some sleep. I'll stay here and watch over her."

"No, I don't think I could sleep if I even wanted to," He buried his head in his hands and sighed.

"Fine, just let me bring you some food," Susan suggested.

" No, I'm not hungry," Peter said moodily. The affect of no sleep and no food was beginning to take its toll on him.

" Fine, I'm going to go have lunch with Edmund and Lucy," and with that she left Darby's room.

* * *

" Susan, when will Darby get better?" Lucy looked up at her older sister.

" I'm not sure, Lu," The eldest Pevensie sister sighed. She was starting to really get worried. She had never seen anyone be unconscious this long. Hopefully, Darby would at least wake up for a few minutes so the doctor could come examine her.

" Is Darby dying?" Lucy asked, her eyes were large and round and Susan didn't have the heart to tell her that she didn't know for sure.

" No, Lucy," Susan smiled at her little sister. " Darby's going to be just fine. Now, how about we go visit Mr. Tumnus?"

* * *

Later that day, Peter still hadn't moved from his spot beside Darby's bed, hoping that any moment now she'd wake up. Against his many protests, Susan had brought him a plate full of food leftover from lunch, which she said had been very lonely without him. The food still remained untouched.

Peter looked at Darby as she slept. Her midnight hair spread out behind her, and her skin was pale. She looked ethereal and delicate, something that strong and independent Darby never looked like. She looked as if one subtle touch could break a petite, frail bone in her body. He had never seen her look so small, so weak before and quite frankly, it terrified him.

" Peter," a small voice from the doorway called. Lucy, his mind recognized the familiar voice.

" Hey, Lu," He weakly smiled. She slowly and timidly walked over to the bed and took Darby's hand.

" She's going to be alright, you know," The little girl said to her older brother.

" What makes you think that?" Peter's brow furrowed. He hoped Susan hadn't been filling her with false hopes again, not that he didn't believe Darby was going to get better, but he didn't think that it would be any time soon.

" Aslan told me," Lucy said nonchalantly, like she said the name everyday.

" Aslan told you, Lu?" The name Aslan spread a new hope through his body and if Aslan said Darby was going to be okay, she was _really_ going to be okay.

" Yes, He came about an hour ago," Lucy said looking up at her older brother again. " I sent Mr. Tumnus to go get you but I guess he must have gotten a little side tracked."

"Where is he?"

* * *

It had been almost 3 years since the Pevensie siblings had last seen the lordly lion. After their coronation, he had just wondered off back to where ever he had been before they met him, without any good bye to anyone because after all, he isn't a tame lion.

Susan and Edmund had been outside in the courtyard visiting with Aslan for about an hour and a half when they sent Lucy to go get Peter, who had been cooped up in Darby's room for 2 days now.

" It's just not healthy," Susan said, a concerned look was etched on her face.

" Yes, Aslan, Peter has been up there for 2 days straight and he hasn't eaten or slept and he barely talks to anyone and if by some miracle he does talk he's in a grouchy mood," Edmund explained. Aslan just purred in what sounded something like a laugh, if lions could laugh.

" Children, Peter loves this girl," Aslan said with amusement in his deep, rich voice. " I wish to meet her when she awakens."

" Oh, you'll love her, Aslan," Susan smiled fondly. Darby had become very close to her, like a sister, and Susan wanted nothing more than for her to get better instantly and for Peter and Darby to live happily ever after, but she was seriously doubting that was going to happen in Darby's current condition.

" We all do," Edmund added.

" Aslan! Aslan!" Lucy's little voice cried out as she dragged Peter over to the majestic lion.

"Peter, its good to see you again," Aslan said to the high king.

" It's good to see you again, too, Aslan," Lucy had finally convinced him to walk out into the courtyard to see Aslan, but only for a few moments. He would say hello and then walk straight back up to Darby's room.

" Peter, sit down," The lion said motioning to a chair beside him.

" Oh, no, I'm just going to go back upstairs and sit with Darby," He said.

" Come on, Peter. Just sit down for a few minutes," Edmund whined. He missed his old brother, the Peter that used to smile.

" Okay, but just a few minutes," Peters said giving into his siblings pleading.

But a few minutes turned into 30 minutes and before he knew it, Peter had been sitting outside for a couple of hours just catching up on old times.

" Your Majesty!" Tumnus the faun ran out into the courtyard frantically. " My lady, Darby! She has awakened!"

The four Pevensies jumped out of their chairs and ran to the fourth floor of the castle, where Darby's room was. They approached her room ( which was the fourth on the right) and Peter opened the heavy oak doors to find a doctor leaning over Darby's bed, where she lay awake just as Tumnus said she was.

" Darby!" Susan said jumping on the bed and giving her best friend a one sided hug. The girl was still weak and couldn't properly hug anyone at the moment.

" I'm going to need you to all leave the room for a little bit while I run some tests on Darby," The doctor said nicely.

So the four Pevensies left and waited outside Darby's room for what seemed like forever, but was really only about 30 minutes.

* * *

Peter was slumped on the ground against the wall facing Darby's room while Susan paced up and down the hallway. They had sent Edmund and Lucy to go eat dinner with Aslan, fearing that when the doctor came out, something serious would be wrong with Darby and they didn't want the younger ones to worry. The doctor emerged with a grim look adorning his wrinkled face.

" I'm afraid I have some bad news," The doctor's dull blue eyes shown with sadness. " She's dying…with the Gray Fever."

Peter's mouth went dry once he heard Gray Fever. He'd heard of it before, but it was very rare. Hardly anyone in Narnia was ever affected by it.

" What's that?" Susan asked. She was scared and Peter knew it.

" It happens in stages. At first, she'll complain of a blistering cold feeling. Then, she'll come down with a horrible fever and it will cause her to start seeing delusions. She'll start forgetting routine things like names and where her room might be, then she'll starting forgetting things like her own name or where she's from or even how to eat something," The grim, wrinkled doctor explained. " The fever will eventually drive her mad, but the worse stage is the final stage. Her skin will turn a grayish color and the fever will go away. She'll regain her strength and her memory, but it will slowly be killing her on the inside, and one day she will die."

" Isn't there something you can do?" Susan was crying now, but Peter was still in a state of shock. No muscles in his body could move and he felt like his feet were glued to the floor.

" No, it is incurable, Your Majesty," The doctor's tone was even more grim than it had been before, " You can go see her now."

* * *

Darby sat silently in her bed after the doctor left. She was dying from something she didn't even know and to make it worse according to the doctor the Gray Fever moved quickly and there was no cure. She knew she was going to die someday, but why did it have to be now? She asked herself as tears welled up in her eyes.

" Darby?" Susan's voice called out quietly to her after the doctor had left.

" Yes," She said trying to suck up the tears. She didn't want them to see her cry. She had to be strong, if not for herself, for her friends.

" May we come in?" Susan said quietly.

" Yes, come in," She said wiping her eyes before she heard the door open. Be strong, echoed through her mind.

Susan and Peter walked in and sat down on the edge of her bed. An awkward silence filled the room as Darby looked for something to start a conversation about and Peter and Susan just stared at her, like she was a china doll that was going to break if evenly lightly touched.

" Oh, Darby," Susan said crying and flinging herself on her best friend. " How can this happen to you?"

Darby tried to remain strong, but she couldn't and tears overwhelmed her. Her once strong and brave façade faded, and for the first time the two older Pevensies saw her cry.

" I don't want to die," She said breathlessly through sobs as she cried into Susan's shoulder. " I don't want to die."

Peter hadn't really realized till now that Darby _really _was going to die and there was nothing he could do about it.

* * *

Okay thanks for reading guys now please review! and no flames please! 


	8. Friends

Okay, I want to thank all of my wonderful reviewers for reading my story!

Chapter 8 is up and this chapter is going to involve more of a Susan/ Darby friendship so just read and I promise I'll have the next chapter posted shortly!

A/N- I dont own the Chronicles of Narnia!

* * *

It was breakfast time at Cair Paravel and Lucy, Susan, and Darby were eating breakfast in Darby's sitting room where a small table with five chairs sat in the middle of the room. Peter and Edmund were in a council talking about the war they were supposed to go to but had _accidentally _missed when word got out about Darby's illness. Silence filled the breakfast table as the three girls enjoyed the eggs and pancakes that had been fixed for them earlier. Darby's plate though remained untouched.

" Darby, aren't you going to eat?" Susan asked looking at the barely touched eggs and stack of drenched pancakes.

"I'm not very hungry," Darby was in one of her moods today, but it was starting to become normal now and according to the doctor these moods were going to get even worse.

" You should at least eat a little bit," Susan said. " You're going to need your strength for other things." Darby just glared at her.

" How about we go on a picnic?" Little Lucy suggested. The room was filled with tension between the two older girls.

" Yes, Lucy, a picnic is a great idea," Darby smiled weakly at the 10 year old. Truthfully, a little fresh air could do her some good. She hadn't been outside in what seemed like weeks, well ever since her diagnosis.

" No," Susan had a stern and stubborn look in her eye, " not in your condition, Darby."

" Fine," Darby threw her fork down on her plate and slid her seat back away from the table quickly. " I'll be in my room if you need me."

" Susan, maybe you should stop treating her like a child," Lucy said after Darby had left, " and more like a friend."

Darby lay quietly in her room with the curtains closed and no light shining through in any shape or form. Flowers adorned her night stand and table and ' Get Well Soon' cards lay in a stack beside her bed. Most of the cards and flowers were from people she had never met before, but still the flowers were beautiful and the cards were sweet. She had to say she loved Mr. Tumnus's flowers most of all. They were daises, her favorite type of flowers, and he had brought them up to her about five days ago.

She had finally met Aslan, who was just like everyone said he was. Magnificent and majestic. He had simply come and sat and talked with her and that was the best gift of all, even better than Tumnus's daises. When she had first met him she had to admit, she was a little surprised. After all, he was a lion. He listened to her when she talked, unlike Susan who had started to make all her decisions for her, and he didn't treat her like a child, unlike Peter who had started treating her like he treated Lucy. He was just simply a friend and at this particular moment in time, that's exactly what Darby needed.

* * *

" Ah, Susan, there you are," Aslan said to the gentle queen.

" Hello, Aslan," She had just come from her study, with a book in hand, and was on her way to have some tea with Tumnus in the kitchens.

" I was wondering if you would come take a walk with me," Aslan asked her. Mr. Tumnus can wait, Susan thought, Aslan isn't always going to be around.

The girl and the lion walked together until they reached the gardens, where Susan sat down on a bench in front of a rose bush. A comfortable silence settled over the two companions and they both sat their enjoying each other's company for a few moments.

" If your wandering, Susan," Aslan said to her, " I didn't just bring you here so we could look at the flowers. I wanted to talk to you about you friend, Darby."

" What is it, Aslan?" Susan asked quietly. The roses were floating gently beside her head and the sun was shining down on her.

" She needs you, Susan. Not you as a mother, but you as a friend," Aslan stated. " I know this is hard on you and the others, but imagine how hard it must be on her. She's dying, Susan, and there's nothing she can do about. You have to be here for her. Be strong for her, if that's not to much to ask. I know you can do it."

* * *

" Darby?" Susan rapped lightly on Darby's bedroom door. " May I come in?" But there was no answer, but that wasn't going to stop her. She was determined to make things right again with her best friend. She gently opened the door with a light creak and sat down in the chair facing Darby's bed. It was almost lunch and here was Darby laying in bed during the middle of day with the curtains closed and no light at all shining through the two long windows on the opposite side of the room.

" Hey," Darby said weakly. She had just woken up from a short nap a few minutes before when Tumnus had come to check in on her.

" Hey," Susan said awkwardly. She'd felt horrible ever since Aslan had told her what Darby said about being treated like a child. Aslan was right. Darby was her best friend, not her little child. " Listen, Darby, I think we need to talk. Aslan told me what you said to him about the way I've been treating you."

" He did?" She cringed.

" Yes, and I want you to know that I think you're completely right," Susan took a deep breath. " I'm sorry for treating you like a child. You're not my child, you're my best friend and that's what I should be treating you like. It's just that I'm so scared for you, Darby. Everyone is. I cant even imagine how scared you must be because this is actually happening to you. I just wanted to take care of you."

" I understand, Susan," Darby smiled. " You're my best friend and I'm glad that you care that much about me, but I don't need constant mothering, I can take care of myself."

" I understand now, but you know that if you ever need anything, I will always be here for you," Susan hugged her best friend and things were once again right between the two girls. " Now, how about we go on that picnic of yours?"

" Really?" Darby said looking up at her with big, blue eyes.

" Really," Susan smiled. Things seemed like that were going to be good again. Well, at least for a moment.

* * *

Okay, it was kinda short but I promise there will be more later! so review! 


	9. Unreasonable Promises

New chapter is up, just like I promised so do your part and read and review for me! I dont expect there to be too many more chapters so this story should be over soon. I've known for a while what's going to happen in the end but if anyone has any suggestions they can email or leave a review about it.

A/N- I dont own the Chronicles of Narnia

* * *

It was a beautiful, sunny day in the Narnian apple orchards as the five friends sat in the shade under the tall, blossoming trees. Edmund, who was busy consuming tons and tons of apples, laughed quietly as Susan was desperately trying to teach Darby to use a bow and arrow. Let's just say she wasn't doing very well. Peter and Lucy were playing a card game and of course, Peter was letting his little sister lose.

" Hey, Ed, do you want to play?" Peter asked as he was shuffling the cards.

" No, I'm having to much fun watching the two of them," Edmund pointed to Darby, who had just shot an arrow at a dryad accidentally, but fortunately she missed, and Susan, who was trying to tell the dryad that Darby didn't mean to try to shoot her.

" I do believe your right, Ed," Lucy had an amused look on her childish face, " This is more interesting than a card game."

" Su, I'm beginning to think that archery isn't my thing," Darby said as the two girls sat down to join them under the apple trees.

" Me, too, Darby. Me, too," Susan laughed as she picked up a ripe, green apple and took a small bite out of it.

" It's a beautiful day," Lucy stated after a while of calming, not awkward, silence passed over the five of them.

" Yes, it is," Peter smiled at his little sister. Lucy had always had a soft spot in his heart since the day she had been born.

" How about we race, Peter?" Edmund suggested referring to the boys' horses who grazed slightly to the side of them.

" Good idea, Ed. Darby would you like to come along?" Peter laughed. He had always found Darby's strange fear of horse funny, but the look on her pretty face was priceless when he ever suggested her riding one. It was a look of pure horror and disgust at the same time.

" Uh, no. I do believe I'll sit out," Darby had that look on her face again while the four Pevensies laughed at her. Riding to the apple orchards had been enough for her.

* * *

_flashback_

_" Just come on, Darby," Peter said holding his hand down towards her from up on his high horse. She just gave him a skeptical look that said ' Are you crazy?'._

_" I promise I wont let you fall," He smiled as she hesitantly took his hand and he helped her up onto the horse._

_" Peter, if you let me fall," Darby's face was one of pure terror, " I will never speak to you again."_

_" Well, I wont let that happen," He caught the soft smell of her hair. Honey and Vanilla, that's what she smelled like. He smiled gently and he knew that he loved_ _her and he was going to stop this Gray Fever thing from killing her if it was the last thing he ever did._

_flashback_

* * *

" You better cheer for me then, Darby," Peter sarcastically warned her, " or I'll never speak to you again." She laughed the laugh that he loved to her and playfully hit him on the arm.

" No, Peter, I'm cheering for Edmund," She rolled her eyes. Now, this was the Darby he loved. Not the Darby that laid in her room all day, not the sick Darby.

" Okay, on your mark. Get Set. Go!" Lucy said waving her hand in front of her two brothers. Peter and Edmund had to race from the end of the apple orchards and back to win and from the looks of it, Peter was ahead.

" Go Edmund!" Lucy cheered as the boys had reached the back of the apple orchard and were turning around. The two of them were neck and neck, but Edmund looked as if he was about to pull ahead.

Edmund crossed the makeshift finish line just seconds before Peter did and in sportsman-like fashion, the two boys shook hands and Peter congratulated his younger brother on a ' fine race'. Darby smiled as Peter walked over to her with a sarcastic frown on his face.

" I lost," He said while trying to hold back a grin.

" I know," She laughed at his pitiful attempt at Lucy's puppy dog face. " But I still think you did good."

" Well, don't I get to be comforted because I lost?" He asked, again trying to use Lucy's puppy dog face that always managed to make Darby melt, but Peter's puppy dog face looked more like a puppy in pain.

" No, losers don't get anything," Darby laughed before she gave him a small kiss on the lips, but the two were interrupted by Edmund.

" Ew, go get a room," The boy said in disgust whiled his sisters ' oohhed' and 'awwed' over the two of them.

" One day, when your older, Edmund," Peter said ruffling the boy's hair, " You'll understand what it's like." Edmund still had a look of utter disgust as Peter took Darby's hand a lead her away from his brother and sisters.

The two walked a short way out of sight from the other three and a comfortable silence settled over them. To Darby, it felt right, as if they were always meant to be together, as if by some fate unknown to man, they had been brought together by that stupid connecting bathroom of hers.

" I have to tell you something," Peter told her with a solemn look on his normally happy face.

" What?" Darby smiled hoping that the look on his face was one of humor and not actual sadness.

" Edmund and I have to go to war in two days, and this time we really have to go," He said sadly. They had stopped walking and a look of grief came upon her pretty face and Peter unwillingly cringed on the inside because the last thing he ever wanted to do was make her unhappy.

" Why? Why can't you stay here with me? With Lucy and Susan?" She said softly, avoiding his penetrating eyes. " You can't go. What happens if I..if I die before you come back? I might never see you again."

" You won't. I wont let you die, Darby," He said with this look in his eye that Darby had never seen before. " I'm going to save you." Darby sighed.

" Peter, don't make promises to me that you know you can't keep," Darby said finally looking up into his bright, blue-gray eyes. " I'm going to die, Peter. This _thing_ is incurable."

" No," He yelled at her, something that Peter had never done before, " I wont let that happen. Not to you."

This side of Peter was one she had never seen before. Of course, she had seen the brave and strong and protective Peter that she always saw whenever she was around him, but this Peter that yelled and made unreasonable promises, was starting to scare her.

* * *

Thanks for reading, guys! I'm going to make some changes to the previous chapters of this story so you might want to go back and re-read them! Please review! 


	10. A Proper Goodbye

Okay this chap. has some Peter/Darby scenes in it so I hope you like it!

a/n- I dont own the Chronicles of Narnia!

* * *

" What time are you leaving?" Darby and Peter were sitting alone in her sitting room, the day before Peter was to leave for war in Archenland. He had come to visit her and to bring her flowers like he did once every week, and casually she brought up the topic no one wished to talk about.

" Sunrise, tomorrow," He stated while fiddling with the sleeve on his blue tunic. Darby remained stance at the large bay window and looked out at the churning water on the beach. He cant leave tomorrow, she thought, what could make him stay? Silence came over them for a few minutes and both of them were just waiting on each other to say something, anything. Finally, Darby gave in.

" I don't want you to leave," She sat down next to him on the loveseat next to the small table they ate breakfast at every morning.

" I don't want to leave either," The disease was starting to control her. Earlier that morning he had found her wondering around in the hallway trying to find her room. When he had asked her what she was doing, she had repeatedly called him Edmund, but right now as she lay silently in his arm, she was just the same as she had been when he had first met her.

The grim, wrinkled doctor had come again around teatime to check in on her, and he had delivered them the news on her condition. The Gray Fever was moving quickly and she could be dead in he next two months. Yesterday, she had asked him what would happen if he wasn't there when _it_ happened? And he had told her that it wouldn't happen, she would live, but what if he couldn't save her? He couldn't just stand back and watch her die.

" Peter?" She broke him from his silent trance. " Are you okay?"

" Oh, yes, Darby," He said smiling at her then placing a chaste kiss on her hot forehead, " I'm perfectly fine."

* * *

"Lu?" Susan asked her little sister. " Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Susan," Lucy was laying down during the middle of the day, something that she normally didn't do.

" Are you sure?" Susan wasn't convinced. Maybe I should get the doctor to come check on Lucy, she thought while feeling Lucy's small forehead to check and see if she had a fever. " Because you're burning up."

" Yes, Susan, I'm completely fine," Lucy whined, " Could you please leave so I could sleep a bit?"

" Of course, Lu," Susan said leaving Lucy's bedroom and closing the door quietly behind her.

Susan contemplated going to get the grim, wrinkled doctor again to check on Lucy because she was worried. What if the same thing that was happening to Darby was happening to Lucy ,too? It was going to be hard enough to lose her best friend, but what if she lost her little sister, too? I think I'll go check with Peter and Darby, she thought.

* * *

" Peter! Stop it!" Darby said in between giggles. Peter was chasing her around the sitting room tickling her because she had called him ' slightly predictable'.

" No! Not until you take it back," He laughed, cornering her between a chair and a small bookshelf. Darby laughed and went to run around the chair but tripped over the leg and fell on top of the couch. Peter just laughed at her and sat down next to where she had fallen and continued to tickle her.

" Stop it!" She said trying to breath in between her constant giggling.

" Not until you say that Peter Pevensie is the most unpredictable person in the world," He smiled and continued tickling her.

" Fine!" She breathlessly got out. " Peter Pevensie is the most unpredictable person in the world!"

Peter put his arm around Darby's waist and looked down on her smiling face. Like the grim, wrinkled doctor had said, her skin tone was turning slightly grayish because of the disease, but Peter still thought she was the most beautiful girl, or women really, he had ever seen. He had seen his fair share of beautiful women before but she was by far the most beautiful.

" What are you looking at?" Her hand flew to her face, wiping off imaginary dirt or soot that was never there. " Is there something on my face?"

" Oh, uh, nothing," He smiled grabbing her cold hand and rubbing it in between his to try and warm it up. " Your hands are freezing."

" Yea, I am so cold," She said looking up into his blue eyes.

" Well, let's warm you up then," His lips closed in what little space between them remained and the two were lost in each others touch and kiss for who knows how long.

* * *

" Peter, Darby, I-" Susan walked into Darby's sitting room without knocking, but was immediately wishing she had. Her brother and her best friend were in a embarrassing position on the sitting room couch.

" It looks like I'm interrupting something, so I'll just leave," Susan had to shake the idea of her best friend and her brother out of her mind.

" No, Susan, what did you need?" Darby said getting up off of the couch and smoothing down her roughed up hair.

" Well, its about Lucy," Susan sat down in the chair beside the couch. " I'm worried about her."

* * *

" I bet that was embarrassing," Edmund laughed as Peter told him the story of what had happened to him and Darby earlier that morning. The two boys were in Peter's room while finished packing everything he needed while he was away.

" It was," Peter said running a hand through his blonde hair.

" Is she going to come say good bye tomorrow morning?" Edmund asked his older brother.

" I told her not to, but if does, she loves me," Peter said to a confused looking Edmund.

" What? I'm confused," Edmund's face was one of utter bewilderment. He never had much experience with girls, but that was just a weird idea that Peter had.

" You see, if she comes and says good bye that means that she loves me, and if she doesn't…well, that means she doesn't, but she will. I know she will," Peter explained.

" Girls are so confusing," Peter laughed at his little brother.

" Like I said yesterday, Ed, one day when your older you'll understand everything that I'm going through," Peter said while packing up the last of his stuff.

" I sure hope so," Edmund said with an exasperated tone to his voice, " I don't think I could go on this clueless for the rest of my life."

* * *

It was five minutes before the two brothers and some of their guards were supposed to leave and still no sign of Darby. Every few seconds Peter would check the palace door and every few seconds there would be no Darby. He had been sure she would come, but at this moment in time, he was really beginning to doubt it.

" Your highness," Orieus, a centaur and one of Peter's trusted advisors, approached him, " we have to leave if we are to reach the outskirts of Anvard by nightfall."

" Just a few more minutes, Orieus," He once again looked back to the palace door where no one stood.

" Peter, he's right," Edmund came up beside him, " we have to go."

" Fine, lets go," He gave one last look before mounting his horse and riding up next to his brother. " I guess she's not coming."

" Guess again," Edmund smiled as Darby finally emerged from the palace door.

" Peter!" She said running up to him. He met had already gotten of his horse and grabbed her in a gentle yet firm hug.

" I'm glad you came," He smiled pushing a piece of midnight hair behind her ear.

" Well, I couldn't let you leave without saying a proper good bye," She smiled and kissed him long and hard on the lips with what little strength she had.

" Write to me," He told her after the kiss had been broken and he had once again mounted his horse.

" I wouldn't dream of not doing it," She smiled as she let go of his hand.

* * *

Thanks for reading guys! now review! 


	11. Another Tragedy

This chapter is going to be a little sad so brace yourselves.

a/n- I dont own the Chronicles of Narnia

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" Darby? What are you doing?" She said coming upon her best friend wondering alone and confused down an empty hallway.

" Just going to breakfast," She continued going in the opposite direction from her room which was the room that they normally had breakfast in.

" Darby, your not going the right way and besides we have breakfast in your sitting room," Susan said forcefully turning the thin girl around by her gaunt shoulders. She had lost a lot of weight and her once curvy and attractive figure was gone and a bony and emaciated form had replaced it. While her eyes were normally bright and blue, they were now dull and lacked the sparkle they had once obtained. Her skin had been the color of a ripe peach, but now it had an ashy gray tone to it. She had the same quirks and features as the healthy Darby, but her good looks were fading and an eerie appearance was taking their place.

" Oh, I'm not?" She scrunched her brows together and cocked her head slightly to the side as she looked at her best friend. As the doctor had said, her memory was going.

" No, your room is this way," Susan remained patient with her without having to treat her like a child, but that was a fine line that wasn't very hard to cross. With Peter and Edmund gone, the three girls had been spending their days talking with Aslan, who had been great company for the lonely girls, and sitting out in the courtyard doing whatever tickled their fancy. Susan would read or sew, Lucy would dance with some of the dryads and play games with some of the animals, while Darby would just sit and enjoy the peace and, most of the time, quiet of the outdoors.

" I can't believe I did that again," Darby smacked herself upside the head with her hand forcefully while her best friend laughed at her antics. " That's the third time this week that I've gotten lost when I was never really lost in the first place. I've been here for almost six months and I know where everything is, but I just cant remember anymore." The girl let out a long, frustrated sigh.

" Don't beat yourself up," Susan said with a smile as she an Darby headed back towards the sitting room. " It's going to happen, just let me or Lucy or Aslan come help you if you need anything. That's what we're here for." Darby smiled and the two girls walked to breakfast together in a comfortable silence.

* * *

" Full house," Lucy smiled as she laid down her cards on the small table. The three girls were playing poker, a game that they remembered from their world, and Lucy was better than everyone thought she would be.

" I don't know how she does it," Susan said in amazement as she laid her bad hand of cards down on the table. Lucy had just won every hand the had just played while the two older girls were going on the worst winning streak ever heard of.

" Me neither, Su," Darby laughed as she two laid down her bad hand of cards. " How did you get so good, Lucy?"

" I don't know," The littlest Pevensie smiled charmingly, " I think I just have a knack for card games. Now, what do you want to play? Gin? Go Fish? Uno?"

" No, I think I'll pass," Susan said getting up from the table in Darby's sitting room. " I'm going to go write a letter to Edmund and Peter."

" Darby?" Lucy said looking at the other girl hopefully.

" No, Lu, I'm going to pass also," Darby got up from the table and pushed the chair in. " I'm a little tired, but I promise that we can play again tonight."

Lucy, too, left the room and headed down towards the stables to visit her pony, Rowena, and maybe go out for a little trot to Mr. Tumnus's house. She was about halfway there when her head started pounding intolerably and her legs were starting to feel kind of funny. It's nothing, the little girl thought, it'll pass in a few moments. But it did not pass, but just kept getting worse and worse.

Down in the stables, Lucy saddled Rowena, a pretty white pony that she had received for her birthday last year, and readied her for the short journey to Mr. Tumnus's small abode. Her head was still pounding, but now it was worse and the funny felling in her legs was now passing throughout her small little body.

" My Lady, are you okay?" Rowena, the pony, asked her as her legs slightly gave out from under her, but Lucy caught her balance before she could fall.

"I- I'm fine," Lucy said feeding the pony a sugar cube, but she her legs were shaking and before she could say anything, Lucy passed out on the hay floor of the stable.

" My Lady!" The pony exclaimed.

* * *

" How is she?" Darby said running up to a solemn looking Susan who had been pacing in front of her baby sister's door for the last hour and a half.

" I'm not sure. The doctor hasn't come out yet, but she was awake and talking before the doctor came," Susan told her best friend. Darby gave her a sympathetic pat on the back and the two girls waited in silence outside of Lucy's room for a while.

" Did you write to Edmund and Peter?" Darby said quietly. The sun was setting outside and the sunset was shining through the window onto the girls.

" Yes, I sent a little while after lunch. They should get it in a couple of days," Susan said absentmindedly. What if the same thing that was happening to her best friend was also happening to her little sister?

The door to Lucy's door opened and the grim, old doctor, who had treated Darby, emerged out in the hallway where the two girls stood anxiously. His face was grim as it had been when he had been here the last time and he wrung his fingers nervously. He was sweating slightly and both the girls could clearly see that and the three stood in an awkward prolonged silence for what seemed like forever to the anxious girls.

" My Lady, Queen Lucy had the Gray Fever also," He said looking at Susan who's face had gone startlingly pale. Her worst fear was being realized. Not only was she losing her best friend, she was losing her little sister, too. How was she going to tell Peter and Edmund? " There is some type of epidemic going on in Narnia. I have diagnosed 7 Narnians with the Gray Fever in the last two weeks." Susan still stood in silence with a bewildered look on her face.

" Thank you for coming, Doctor," Darby smiled kindly. She lead the girl into Lucy's room and they both say down on the bed beside the sleeping girl.

" How can this happen?" Susan said after about 5 minutes of staring quietly at her little sister's face. " How could this happen to Lucy? Or to you?" She was crying now and Darby was trying to calm her down.

" Shh, it's okay," Darby cooed as her best friend cried into her bony shoulder. " It's okay, Susan." The two older girls sat like this for thirty minutes until they were interrupted by the waking of the young, sleeping queen.

" Susan? Darby?" Lucy said weakly as she slowly opened her eyes.

" Hey, Lu," Darby smiled. She knew exactly what Lucy need because she, too, was going through the same thing.

" Hey," Susan managed to meekly reply. Her tears had stopped but her sniffling hadn't.

" Su, don't cry," Lucy was weak, and her voice was cracking slightly. " Everything will turn out all right."

" I know, Lucy," Susan smiled and somehow this feeling just came over her and she truly knew everything would turn out okay. " I know."

* * *

okay, next chapter is going to be involving Edmund and Peter so review and I will post sooner! 


	12. A Glimmer of Hope

A/N- This chapter is going to center more around Peter, not Edmund so sorry to all of you Edmund fans. I want to stop and thank all of my reviewers right now for reviewing!

Queen Emily the Wise, ReviewGalore, Readerfreak10, pinkpenguin363, Francienyc, Mrs. St. John Allerdyce, and Narnialover!

Narnialover- Lucy's cordial can't heal the Gray Death because there is no _real_ physical evidence that it is there, besides discoloring of the skin so it's not technically qualified to be healed by Lucy's cordial. Thanks for asking though!

* * *

Peter sat quietly around the fire, smoothing out letters that he had received from his sisters and Darby to read for the millionth time. Lucy was dying. Apparently an epidemic had started around all of Narnia and thousands had succumbed to the Gray Fever's clutches. Now, his determination to find the cure for the Gray Fever had increased even more. 

The first of the two letters was definitely in Susan's slanted and sharp handwriting.

_Dear Peter,_

_I'm afraid I have some bad news. Lucy has fallen ill with the Gray Fever also. The doctor delivered us the news earlier this afternoon. Right now, she's up in her room with Darby playing cards, but I don't think the whole thing had hit her just yet. She seems fine, as if nothing has changed. She's not scared at all, Peter, and that's what worries me. Do you think she realizes that she's going to die? How can I tell her if she doesn't? This all just too confusing. We miss both you and Edmund and Cair Paravel just isn't the same without the two of you. Darby is doing okay, not much different than how she was fairing when you were here. Her memory is starting to go, but she is still the same Darby that we know and love. How is Edmund? I hope everything is going well with Archenland and I expect you to keep me filled in on everything that is happening there and I will keep you informed on the well being on Lucy and Darby. Well, I must go. Aslan has requested to have dinner with the three of us girls tonight so I must go get ready._

_Love, Your sister,_

_Susan_

The last one had handwriting that was tall and graceful. Must be Darby's.

_Peter,_

_By now you must have heard the bad news. Susan and I are beside ourselves with grief, but Aslan is here comforting us so no need to get all worried about us. Lucy is taking things rather well, as best as you can accept this, although she did reveal to me that she was scared deep down, but everyone's afraid to die aren't they? But on to a nicer topic. I finally learned how to use a bow yesterday! Susan, Aslan, and I thought it would be a good idea to take Lucy outside to get some fresh air ( since she hasn't been out in days) and we decided to stop by the practice field where Su convinced me to try archery on last time, and guess what? I finally got it, which is amazing because I have been trying to use a bow since I first arrived in Narnia, which was Aslan knows how long ago. I wish you and Edmund were here to rejoice in the most amazing experience of my life ( ha!) but I know you must help out Archenland. Speaking of Edmund, how is he? I have written him a letter or two, but haven't received a reply. Susan told me that he wasn't much of a writer, though, so I didn't expect one. I hope you are enjoying yourself in Anvard, well as much as you can enjoy yourself when war is about, but when you get back you must tell me stories about wonderful Archenland is because Aslan had told me many wondrous things about it. You should know that I'm constantly thinking of you. I hope that your safe and thinking of me also because when you get back your going to be spending every waking moment with me, Sire. If your hoping the Gray Fever is going to get ready of me easily, your out of luck because I'm not going to down without a fight. Well, I must go. Aslan is waiting to walk through the gardens with him and I cant keep him waiting._

_Love,_

_Darby Harrison_

It was good to hear from the two girls. The loneliness of war was catching up with him and Edmund, they had each other but it just wasn't the same. Peter threw the letters into an old, leather knapsack and remain quietly thinking beside the fire. A young solider of Archenland came and sat beside him on the log around the campfire. He was younger than Peter, maybe about Susan's age, with dark brown hair and blue eyes, in a way he reminded Peter of an older version of Edmund.

" What is your name, solider?" This young man had caught his interest.

" My name is Aegeon, sir," The young solider said, he nodded his head towards the High King of Narnia.

" Where are you from ,Aegeon?" Peter asked.

" I am from a tiny village outside of Anvard, sir, called Summit," Aegeon answered him timidly.

" No, need for the sir, Aegeon, you may call me Peter," The young king smiled, " After all that is my name."

" Yes, sir- I mean, yes, Peter," The two boys smiled at each other.

* * *

Hours later the two boys still sat talking to one another beside the fire, talking about family and other random things that popped into their heads. The two boys had hit it off almost immediately, well after Aegeon got over the shock of talking to the High King of Narnia. 

" I have two sisters," Aegeon stated as the two boys talked on. " The youngest name is Anais and the oldest is named Emilia."

" I have to two sisters and a brother," Peter said taking a sip from the unknown drink that had been handed out a mealtime. " Lucy is the youngest, followed by Edmund, then Susan, and I am the oldest of all of us."

" Do you miss them?" The younger boy asked.

" Yes, I would give anything to be back at the palace with Susan's constant nagging and Lucy's constant wanting to play hide and seek or Edmund's constant bantering, but then there's someone I miss the most," Peter looked off out into the woods with this unrecognizable emotion in his blue eyes.

" A lady friend, I presume," Aegeon chuckled. " I know exactly how you feel. I'm leaving someone behind that I truly care about also." The boy took out a picture from his standard issue knapsack and showed it to Peter. " Her name is Laela."

" She's beautiful," Peter said admiring the picture of the dark beauty, an obvious Calormene girl. " Is she Calormene?" Aegeon nodded.

" Both of our parents have forbid it, but as soon as I get back, I'm going to marry her," Aegeon said. " What about your lady?"

" Her name is Darby, and she's dying of the Gray Fever-" Peter started.

" Gray Fever?" Aegeon's face took on a puzzled look.

" Yes, it's a disease that -" Peter started to explain.

" I know what it is, but that was cured in Archenland ages ago," Aegeon was now the one who was explaining to Peter. " All you have to do is drink from the river of life in the valley of Ephron."

" I've never heard that before," Hope was shining in Peter's blue eyes. Now he could save Darby and Lucy and then they could both be well again.

" Yes, my little sister Anais caught it when we were younger, but we were advised by a medicine woman to take her to the river and it cured her completely. She hasn't been affected by it since," And finally for the first time in the two months that had passed since he arrived in Archenland, he was happy.

* * *

Okay, I only expect to have about four or five more chapters so my story will soon be coming to an end. :( but I'm thinking about writing a sequel or maybe a story about Aegeon if everyone likes him. So everyone please review and I will update soon! 


	13. Always With You

This is a pretty long chapter, and I'm warning you ahead of time. SAD ALERT

an- I dont own the Chronicles of Narnia!**

* * *

**

**4 months later**

" Peter! Edmund!" Lucy said running up to her brothers with a big smile on her face. They were finally home from war today after six months of being gone.

" Lucy," Peter scooped his little sister up into his arms, "where are Susan and Darby?"

" They're in Darby's room," Lucy's smile faded. " She's not doing very well, Peter." But the news didn't seem to phase Peter very much.

The three siblings walked up to Darby's room together, talking about the resolved war and how happy they were to be home again. When the walked in to Darby's room, they found Susan sitting in a chair reading a big book and Darby standing by one of the bay windows overlooking the beach.

" Peter!" Darby exclaimed when she first saw him. She ran up to him and only gave him a small kiss on the cheek, for Edmund's sake.

" I found it!" Peter smiled making no sense at all to anyone. " I found the cure for the Gray Fever!" Doubt filled Susan's face.

" That's wonderful, Peter," Darby gave him a hug and so did Lucy.

" Are you sure Peter?" Susan questioned him. " After all, a doctor did tell us that it was incurable."

" Yes, I'm sure. I met a friend named Aegeon one night and he told me of how his sister caught the Gray Fever when they were younger and the took her to the river of life in Ephron and she was immediately cured," Peter explained to the four others who were confused. Doubt was still on Susan's face.

" I'm not so sure about this, Peter. Who are you going to believe? A doctor or a friend you barely even know?" Susan asked him. Lucy looked over and Darby and mouthed the word ' fight'. " Just think logically-"

" All you do is think logically, Susan," Peter yelled back at his sister. " You think logically enough for all 5 of us."

" Have you ever thought that maybe this river doesn't work? That maybe your friend's sister never had the Gray Fever in the first place?" Susan spited out viciously.

" At least it's worth a try," Peter told her as the two continued to fight.

" Peter, Darby is dying! She doesn't need to go gallivanting off on some little adventure and ware herself out. Look at her, does she look like she could even make it to this river of yours?" Susan had a point. Darby had become emaciated and weaker than before. She looked like a walking skeleton.

" We can take Lucy, though," Peter knew where Susan was coming from but they should at least try and see if it would work. " And if it works we can come back and take Darby also."

" Have you even thought about how maybe Darby wants to spend her last few days with people who love her? Not go on an adventure that wont make her any better," Darby was getting sick of this.

" Stop it! Both of you," Darby said looking at the two siblings. " I can make my own decisions." She looked over at Susan and grabbed her hand. " Su, you know that you're my best friend in the whole entire world, but Peter's right. We should at least try this, for Lucy's sake and for mine."

" I don't like this one bit," Susan's bad mood melted away at her best friend, " but it's your choice, not mine or anyone else's."

* * *

So the next morning , the 5 friends and a small group of Narnian soldiers set of towards Ephron and the river. The journey was a day and a half worth of riding horses (much to Darby's dismay) and half an hour after they had left Edmund was already asking if they were there yet.

" This is going to one long trip," Peter said and everyone agreed.

" I'm bored," Edmund whined five minutes later.

" Ed, you have the attention span of a goldfish," Darby laughed as did all of his siblings.

" I do not," Edmund yelled. " Stop laughing!" The others were all laughing at him and found the look on his face to be very amusing.

" We'll camp here for the night," Orieus, one of Peter's most trusted advisors, told them as the traveled into an eerie looking forest.

" I don't like this place," Lucy said clinging to Peter's arm. " It's scary."

" Don't be scared, Lu. It's just dark. I'm sure that in the morning it's quite pretty," Darby said trying to cheer the 9 year old up.

A campfire was built and the five sat around talking and eating their dinner, just laughing about random things and talking about funny stories. Darby smiled the entire time thinking about how the next day she was finally going to be free of the Gray Fever.

" I'm going to bed," Susan said after a yawn escaped from her lips. " Lu, Darby are you coming?" Lucy nodded in agreement and Darby shook her head.

" No, I'll be in soon though," She replied and smiled as the two sisters head off towards the girls' tent.

" I'm going to bed, too," Edmund didn't want to be alone with the two lovebirds, as he had dubbed Peter and Darby, and he too went off towards the boys' tent.

" I cant believe that tomorrow I'm finally going to be free of the Gray Fever," Darby smiled once they were alone.

" Me neither," Peter wrapped his arms around her waist and she laid her head on his chest. " Once you're well, we'll go anywhere you want. Just think of all the things you can do again. We can go to Archenland or the Lone Islands or Terebinthia. Just give me your heart's command and I'll do it. The entire world is at your command, anything you want, you will receive," Peter told her and she laughed at him calling her a lady.

" I do think that one day I should like to go to Terebinthia," She sighed. " It sounds like a nice place."

" It is and It's beautiful in the winter. When you and Lucy are well, we'll all go. Kind of like a vacation, maybe," Peter said resting his hand on hers. " After all, even a king needs a vacation every once in a while." At that, Darby laughed and he smiled at how much he loved her laughter. They were quiet for a few minutes.

" Darby, I have to ask you a question," No answer came from her. " Darby?" Peter looked down to see her peacefully sleeping. It can wait until tomorrow, he smiled to himself, asking her to marry me isn't that important He took her to her tent and laid her gently down on her bed, making sure that he didn't wake her or the other girls up.

* * *

" Wake up, Darby," Susan shook her gently the next morning. Darby rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and slowly got out of her makeshift bed.

" Today's the day," She said smiling at Lucy.

" Yes, today's the day," Lucy smiled back.

The camp was packed up quickly and once again the group set off towards their destination. Today's journey would only be about 10 hours and the group was looking forward to what was to come.

" I'm bored," Edmund whined like he did the day before, but no one paid attention to his whining today. Today is going to be a happy day, Susan thought as the group rode on quietly.

**9 hours later**

" We are almost there, You majesties," Orieus pointed towards a valley that could barely be seen from where the were. "We're going to have to start traveling by foot because the hills are getting steep."

Peter helped Darby off of his horse and the two walked in front of the group, leading the way towards the far off valley. They talked for a while about things they would do when they got back to Narnia.

" I can teach you how to ride a horse," Peter said laughing as Darby shook her head in disagreement, but suddenly he stopped and she turned to look at him with a curious look in her eye.

" Why did you stop?" She looked at him, as did the others, but he just grabbed her hands.

" Darby, you have made me the happiest person in all of Narnia, but I would be the happiest person in the entire world if you would do me the honor of being my wife?" And with that he slipped a small diamond ring onto her finger and waited for her answer. For a moment, he thought she was going to say no until she kissed him passionately. " So, I'm guessing that's a yes?"

" Yes," She smiled and she embraced him as the others watched on happily, but the happiness didn't last very long because as soon as they entered the valley they spotted a group of Calormene thieves.

" Looks like trouble," Edmund said to no one in particular as the leader of the group sauntered haughtily up to the group.

" What are you doing here?" The man said viciously. He was a short man, a little on the chubby side with brown spiky hair and tan skin with his large nose stuck up proudly in the air.

" We only come to drink from the river," Peter said to him, but the man laughed menacingly.

" I don't think so," He growled. " This is our land. Now leave!"

" Please, sir," Susan begged. " My best friend and my sister are dying from the Gray Fever and they need to drink." The man's eyes wondered over to where Darby was holding Lucy protectively.

" It's a pity, too," He advanced towards Darby. " She really is a pretty one."

"I order you in the name of the High King of Narnia to let us pass," Peter said stepping into his path and pointing his sword at the chubby man. The man, too, unsheathed his sword as did his followers behind them and the all of the Narnian soldiers did as well. Susan backed up towards Darby and Lucy.

" There is going to be a fight, so when I tell you run towards the river and drink, and don't look back," Susan muttered to them as more words were traded in front of them.

" How dare you speak that way to the High King of Narnia!" A young and inexperienced soldier said stepping up to defend against something that had been said to Peter. Seconds later, the boy had an arrow through his heart and the skirmish had begun.

" Run!" Susan yelled over the clanging of swords and the buzzing of flying arrows. Darby grabbed Lucy's hand and the two ran as fast as they could towards the river. They were almost halfway there when a scream was heard behind them. Susan, Darby thought.

" Lucy, go ahead and drink. I'll be back," Darby commanded before running off to help her best friend. A Calormene man had caught Susan from behind and she was struggling to escape from his grasp around her throat. Darby picked up a bow and some arrows of the body of a dead Narnian soldier and aimed the arrow towards the man's back. She fired and hit him clearly and thanked Aslan that she had finally gotten the hang of archery.

" Darby, what are you doing?" Susan yelled at her best friend, but Darby could focus on her, in fact she couldn't focus on anything at all. The lights we leaving her face and everything seemed to be slowing down around her. " Darby, run!" Susan screamed with terror in her voice. She knew what was happening. Darby turned to run towards the river, but her body didn't seem to be working and she couldn't move. She dropped to her knees in pain as the Gray Fever was completely taking her over.

" Peter! Edmund!" Susan's horrified screams could be heard all over the valley as she went to help her fallen friend. " Darby, just keep your eyes open and fight it," She said once she had reached her. Lucy came running out towards the two of them and she grabbed Darby's hand.

" Darby, don't close your eyes," Lucy cried as Darby's blue eyes were losing their light and sparkle.

" Peter! Edmund!" Susan screeched again before the two brothers came running towards them.

" What's going on?" Edmund said. " Didn't the river work?"

" She didn't drink," Susan said with tears running down her face. Peter kneeled down beside where Darby was laying in the grass and grabbed her cold hand.

" Darby, look at me," Peter cried out to her. " Don't leave me. Please, don't leave me." She reached out to touch his face with her other hand and he had tears welling up in his eyes.

" Peter," She said weakly and quietly, " I will always be with you." The lights were gone from her eyes and her hand went limp.

" No, No!" Peter said letting the tears spill out over his face for the first time in many years. Susan sat beside him crying over her best friend's body. It was then that they all realized, Darby Harrison, the girl who they had come to cherish and love, was dead.

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sniff, sniff I hope you all enjoyed this sad chapter, but the story isnt over yet! Only two more chapters! 


	14. Bad Things Happen to Good People

Okay, the next to the last chapter is up and I've decided not to do a sequel unless anyone really wants one so just message me if you do.

an- I dont own the Chronicles of Narnia.

* * *

The funeral was held 2 days after they arrived back in Narnia, and it took place down near the apple orchards, a place that Darby had always loved. Not many people attended because few people had actually ever heard of Darby because she had spent most her time inside the palace walls with the four siblings. The four siblings had spent the last few days quietly, not saying much or even bringing up the subject to Susan or especially Peter, who had taken Darby's death harder than any of them

" I cant believe she's gone," Susan said after the four had returned from Darby's small funeral.

" Do we have to talk about this, Susan?" Peter sighed, running a hair through his dirty blonde hair. He hadn't slept in days, just the mere thought of never seeing her again kept him up for hours.

" You're going to have to talk about it some day, Peter," Susan lectured him.

" Well, today isn't the day," He said before storming out of the room. He needed some time alone.

* * *

Peter stood silently out on the beach while watching the waves go out and in. He was thinking about Darby again, but he did that everyday. Whenever he tried not to think about her, he would see something that would remind him of her, and anything and everything would. Clouds were overhead in the sky and it looked as if it was going to rain, but still Peter looked out at the water. 

" Peter, you should go inside," Aslan said from behind him. The lordly lion had received a worried message from all three of Peter's siblings telling him how hard Peter was taking Darby's death.

" No, I'm just going to stay out here a little bit longer," He said. The lion still remained behind him. A few minutes later it started to rain, but not a light rain. Rain was pouring down in sheets and Peter and Aslan were drenched but Peter made no move to go back inside.

" Peter, you really should go inside," Aslan once again suggested, but this time he didn't receive a protest or an answer from the High King.

" Why did she have to die, Aslan?" Peter cried out and fell to his knees. " Why did she have to leave me here? I'll never survive without her." His tears were mixing with the rain.

" Everyone will die one day," Aslan walked up and put one of his large paws on the boy's shoulder.

" But why now, Aslan? I loved her," Peter said looking up at Aslan with big blue eyes that were now slightly reddened.

" It was her destiny," He replied simply. " Everyone has a destiny. You have one, Susan has one, and even I have one, and we must fulfill it."

" What will happen to her?" Peter said as his tears stopped and his heart hardened. "Will she return to our world?"

" One can never be quite sure," Aslan said hesitantly as the rain still flooded down around them.

" Maybe we should go inside now," Peter said and Aslan followed him.

" One more question, Aslan," Peter said turning to him before they headed inside. " Why did the Gray Fever choose her? And Lucy?"

" Because bad things happen to good people, Peter."

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**14 and a half years later**

Darby Harrison was long and forgotten 14 years later, except for in the minds of the two older Pevensies, who thought of her often. She never changed history, like they did, or saved a kingdom. She was just a girl who stayed in Narnia less than a year.

It was a Saturday morning when they heard about the White Stag. The four thought it would be a good adventure and after all, catching one did mean good luck.

" You girls stay at the castle," 25 year old Edmund said arrogantly. " I'll go catch the stag all by myself."

" Get over yourself, Ed," Susan, who was now 28, laughed as she mounted her horse.

" Yea, we're coming whether you like it or not," 23 year old Lucy said agreeing with her older sister.

The four spotted the stag near Lantern Waste and were off. The chased him for a while until Edmund slowed down and stopped in the middle of a clearing with a lamppost in the middle.

" You alright there, Phillip?" He asked his trusty old horse.

"Not as young as I used to be," The talking beast explained.

"Come on, Ed," Susan said to her younger brother.

" Just catching my breath," He smiled.

"What did he say, Susan?" Lucy smirked at her brother.

" You girls stay at the castle, I'll go get the stag myself," Susan laughed while trying to imitate Edmund's now deep voice. Three of the siblings got a good laugh out of that.

" What is this?" 30 year old Peter said getting off of his horse and going to examine the lamppost.

" It seems like a dream," Susan murmured.

" Or a dream of a dream," Lucy added. " Spare Oom!"

" Not again, Lucy," Peter rolled his eyes.

" Come on!" She motioned for her siblings to follow her into a small patch of trees.

" These aren't branches," Peter said looking at where the tree branches were supposed to be.

" They're coats," Susan said examining one of them. They all went deeper into the trees and the space got smaller.

" Ah! Get off my foot," Edmund yelled before they all tumbled out of the wardrobe door. They were back.

" There you are," The older professor said with a twinkle in his eye. " Now what were you all doing in the wardrobe?"

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Now what will happen next? Find out next chapter and the story will be over and I promise you it will be good! please review! 


	15. Epilogue

**Okay, this is the final chapter so please enjoy! I'm contemplating maybe doing a sequel again but only if everyone enjoys this story! Please read and review and tell me what you think!**

**This story is dedicated to one of the sweetest girls I have ever had the pleasure to meet. Her name was Katie Strunk and she was killed by a tornado on 2 days ago in Enterprise High School. Please keep her family and friends in your prayers.****

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1 year later

" Peter, Susan, Lucy, Edmund!" Their mother's voice called out to them at the train station. She ran towards her four children and captured them all in one giant hug. "It's so good to see you again." The four children smiled and they all walked happily together out to the car.

" I cant wait to be home," Susan smiled. This was the happiest they had all been since leaving Narnia over a year ago.

" Me neither," Edmund said as they drove towards the home they had missed terribly while they were gone at the Professor's house.

" How's dad?" Peter asked, a slight smile on his face. He had been miserable ever since they got back from Narnia and barely ever spoke with the other 3.

" Oh, he's well," Helen Pevensie smiled as she drove along the road. " He cant wait to see you all."

" We can't wait to see him either, Mum," Lucy said smiling. The rest of the trip was silent, with only the sound of passing cars and the occasional ' we're almost there' from Helen.

The car pulled up in front of the Pevensie's modest size house and the four children and their mother got out. The street was quiet and peaceful, minus the house next door.

" What's going on their, Mum?" Susan asked as boxes were being taken out onto the front lawn.

" Oh, we're getting new neighbors," Helen said to her children. " You should meet them. They're very nice, and if I'm not mistaken, Susan, they have a daughter a little bit older than you." Mrs. Pevensie motion a woman around the age of 40, over to them. She was tall, with dark brown hair and familiar light blue eyes. " Mrs. Harrison, these are my children Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy. They just got back from the country." Harrison, Peter and Susan both shared a look.

" Oh, it's a pleasure to meet you all," The woman said in her American accent. " Your mother has told me so much about you all."

" I was just telling them that you had a daughter about Susan's age," Helen smiled at the other woman.

" Oh, yes, she's right over there," Mrs. Harrison said before calling out to her daughter, who was talking to a younger girl standing in front of her. " Sweetheart, come meet our new neighbors!"

" Coming, mom," A very familiar voice said. Peter and Susan shared another look.

" Say hello, sweetheart," Mrs. Harrison said, " to the Pevensies."

" Hello, I'm-" She started, but the moment she looked at the four children her breath caught in her throat, as did Peter's and Susan's.

" Darby," Susan ran out to hug her, she was the first one to react. The two mothers shared a bewildered look. The two girls hugged and smiled and kissed each other on the cheek. " I thought you were gone."

" I did, too, but I'll tell you about it later," Darby whispered in her best friend's ear before turning her attention to Peter.

" Darby," He called out to her. She ran into his arms and they hugged.

" Peter," She smiled holding him an arm's length away from her to see how much he had changed. " You've grown up."

" And so have you," She looked healthy again. Not emaciated and ghostly like he had seen her at her funeral. The looks on the two mothers face's were priceless. How did their children know each other? " I missed you so much, Darby."

" I missed you, too," And bewildered look on their mothers face's became even more confused when the two kissed for the first time in 15 years, in Narnian years of course.

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" What happened, Darby?" Susan asked as she, Peter, and Darby sat upstairs in her room. " I thought you were de-dead."

" Well, after _it_ happened, I woke up passed out on my bathroom floor, the same place I was before I went to Narnia," She explained. " I thought maybe it had all been a dream because there wasn't any evidence that it had really happened, but then I had a dream about Aslan." She stopped to see if the other two were understanding. " He told me not to doubt what had happened and that I would see you all again. Then, I asked him when I would and he said only time will tell and that it might be two days or two years. I woke up the next morning and realized that Narnia actually did happen, and I missed you both and Narnia terribly. Then, six months ago, my dad received notice that they needed someone to be transferred over here and he was picked, so here I am now."

" Do you think we'll ever go back to Narnia?" Susan asked after they all took a few moments of silence to process everything that had happened.

" Yes," Peter smiled grabbing his sister and Darby's hand. " I'm sure of it."

**FIN

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Thank you for reading my story! now review and make me happy!


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